The Love Of A Wizard

CHAPTER 23
Fire

A little over an hour later there were seven very different adults packing bags and weapons in the living room. Strapped to every available body part were guns, knives and Chinese throwing blades. Zulu was sharpening his two and a half foot sword. All of them were dressed in black and a few of them were painting each others faces with paint. Every step was taken to ensure their safety and stealth. Claudia was checking her ammo when she heard the “Whoosh” of the fireplace and knew someone was coming. Spinning out of the fireplace was Molly. She stopped spinning and focused on the seven, apparently very scary people in front of her and let out a scream of fright.
“Claudia, what are you doing?” She sounded frightened and she had her hand on her chest.
“Nothing for you to worry about Molly.” Claudia replied, rather curtly.
“Why are you all dressed that way?” She asked.
“Molly, now is not the time. Please…just go.” Claudia turned back around and felt rather bad when she knew Molly had returned into the fireplace and disappeared. However, she didn’t stay away long and she returned with reinforcements.
Molly, Arthur, Bill and Remus came out of the fireplace. Remus walked quickly forward and faced Claudia.
“What are you doing Claudia?” He asked sternly.
“Sorry guys. This one is a muggle operation.” Claudia gave a sarcastic smile and went back to assembling her gun.
“Zulu, my friend, please don’t do this. Whatever you are planning can’t be good from the looks of it. I know you’re upset. We all are! But you just can’t go until you talk to Dumbledore and-” Claudia cut him off.
“First, if you haven’t heard, Dumbledore is injured. Badly. Secondly, I don’t work for Dumbledore. We are not in the Order Remus.” Claudia hissed the last part and began packing her knap sack. It seemed, everyone took their clue from Claudia and would not answer any questions.
“Good! Severus” Everyone turned to look at Severus entering the house. He stopped just inside the door and tilted his head a little and studied what was before him. “Severus, talk some sense into your girlfriend, would you? They are taking off, to do who knows what!” But Claudia was enjoying the reactions from the Weasley’s upon hearing Claudia referred to as Severus’s girlfriend.
“Severus, don’t try and stop us.” Claudia eyed him sternly.
“I wouldn’t dream of it.” Severus said. Nick clapped Severus on the back and muttered, “Good man.” and continued on.
“Someone, just go and tell Dumbledore and he will know what to do. At the very least, one of the Order should go with you.” Molly cried.
“It seems you were not listening. Dumbledore is indeed grievously injured and is now at the present time resting. He can not do anything about the present…situation.”
“How was he injured?” Arthur asked.
“Claudia, Headmaster wanted me to convey his apologies again to you for his rather rude actions. You understand?” Claudia nodded.
“Yeah. He needed you, so he scared me to get you here, right?’ Severus nodded. His eyes gleamed that gleam he gets at other times Claudia and he were together. She knew that look. Why was she getting that look now? Oh Severus, you are trouble if this excites you.
Nick was pouring eight shot glasses full of vodka. All seven took a glass and held it up into the air. They then bent over and tapped the eighth glass sitting on the table and a chorus of “Salut”, and “Cheers” filled the room. They drank their drinks, all the while the wizards were watching this ceremony with interest.
“Load up!” Nick called. Claudia had time enough to graze Severus’s face with her hand before they swept out the door and left five wizards standing in her living room.

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It was night and Chester was parked one mile from the house Hernandez and friends were calling home. All three teams were in position after a mile hump and checking in. Claudia and Nick sat and waited.
“This is Alpha, team one report. Over.” Rang Chester’s voice in their ears.
“Alpha this is Team one. We are in position in front of the house. Movement inside. I repeat. Movement inside. Over.” Rods voice called.
“This is Alpha. Team three report. Over.”
“Alpha, this is Team three. All clear. All three targets are inside. Unknown extras. No other vehicles. Over” Claudia reported.
“This is Alpha. Team two, report progress. Over.”
“Alpha this is Team two. Estimated wait time is two minutes. Over.” Antonio’s voice oozed through the radio. Claudia and Nick exchanged glances and waited. One minute. Then one minute and thirty seconds. Then…
“Alpha, this is team two. We are a go. I repeat, we are a go. Over.”
“This is Alpha. Boys and girls, we are a go. Your orders are to eliminate three marked targets. Repeat, only three marked targets. Everyone else inside is free to go. Over.”
“BOOM!” The earth shook and Claudia had to cover her face for an instant. The house was lit like a match and burning like old wood. Claudia heard in her ear piece Rod and Bones chanting. Before long, they all were chanting.
“The roof, the roof, the roof is on fire! We don’t need no water let the mother fucker burn!” Laughter and adrenaline pumped all through them. It felt so good. Claudia imagined the baby killer inside burning and didn’t feel a bit of remorse. Burn Hernandez. Burn.
“CRASH!” A window was blasted off of the frame of the house and Claudia and Nick fell on the ground, into position. Claudia trained her sights on the two figures falling from the window as Nick reported in. Through the scope of her rifle, Claudia saw both of them had something in their hands. Wands. Those were wizards coming from there.
“This is Team three. Hold your fire. I repeat. Hold your fire. We got two wizards escaping the house on the west side. Over.” Claudia heard some mutterings in her ear piece but didn’t listen. She was too intent on the person on the left. It was a woman. She had long black hair and looked sickly pale. It can’t be…but it was. Bellatrix Lestrange. Fury grabbed hold of Claudia like a leech. Nick saw his partner tense and he readied himself. Claudia stood up slowly and knew with the flames as bright around the house, they would never see her.
“Hey Bellatrix!” Claudia called out in a sing song voice. The woman froze at the sound of her name and Claudia got a sense of excitement in placing fear in that woman’s heart. “You and me, Bellatrix, we’re not through.” Claudia watched as Sirius’s killer turned in circles trying to find the source of her torture. Claudia aimed her rifle just to the left of Bellatrix’s feet and fired. She watched with obscene pleasure as Bellatrix jumped and looked very frightened.
“Oopps. I missed! Next time I won’t. I can blow your head from your shoulders if I felt like it.” Claudia giggled to herself. Bellatrix grabbed the man’s arm next to her and just at that moment, a secondary explosion erupted from the house that made Claudia fall backward. When she got up, The wizard and witch were gone.
“This is Alpha, move out. Over.” Claudia and Nick humped back to the truck and only turned around to watch one of the walls fall into the house burning. It was pretty really. The night sky ablaze with light and knowing three, very dangerous people, were no longer a danger to anyone. They loaded up into the trucks and went home.
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A/N: Ohhhh...Claudia might be headed into trouble trying to go toe to toe with Bellatrix....You got to love these guys. *sighs*